A Roller Coaster All the Way Around

Understanding our own emotions can be elusive, and we often turn to art for solace, reflection, or unexpected revelations. Some of the most impactful art evokes emotions we don’t anticipate, much like a roller coaster that carries us through exhilarating highs, sharp turns, and unexpected drops before returning us to where we began.

This exhibition takes six sets of opposing emotions as beginning and ending points, using text-based works by NIAD artists to serve as transitional elements that bridge these emotional spectrums. The works are presented in interconnected rows, inviting viewers to experience the following emotional trajectories:

• Numbness → Comfort
• Grief → Elation
• Disgust → Lust
• Guilt → Philautia (Self-Love)
• Shame → Philia (Friendship, non-romantic)
• Panic → Serenity

Through this arrangement, the exhibition explores the transformative power of emotions and the ways in which art serves as a medium for navigating the complexities of human experience.

This exhibition was organized by San Francisco State University’s Spring 2025 ART 619-01 Exhibition Design class: Arantxa Alhambra, Andreina Arevalo Vital, Delilah De La Cerda, Christopher Garambullo, Celeste Garcia, Annie Hernandez, Andaiye Hunt, Molly Kinstle, Julio Melendez, Jade Montez, Victoria Perez, Kenna Roberts, Rachel Silver, A. Sosa, Micaela Strobel, Lali Toscano, Jadee Tsan, Mateo Wolff, and Rowan Zamalea. Class taught by Kevin B. Chen.

Exhibition Design classes at San Francisco State University introduce upper-division Studio Art and Art History majors, as well as graduate students in Museum Studies and Fine Arts, to the fundamental principles of organizing exhibitions. The course covers a wide range of topics, including curatorial research, art handling, registration, and lighting, with an emphasis on providing hands-on experience in the multifaceted field of gallery management. As part of the curriculum exploring curation, students began by curating their own exhibitions using NIAD's extensive online inventory. Their concepts spanned a variety of themes, from emotional expression and suspenseful narratives to the whimsical joy of cats and the escapism of dreams. Building on this foundation, the class later collaborated on a project focused on emotional storytelling, culminating in a collectively organized exhibition.